The dominant factory Ducati team, featuring newly-crowned World Champion Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia, experienced a highly unexpected and difficult performance during Friday and Saturday at the Mandalika Grand Prix.
Here is a breakdown and analysis of their struggles:
1. The Core Problem: Lack of Rear Grip and Cornering Flow
The primary issue plaguing the factory Ducati Desmosedici GP25, and other Ducatis except for a few exceptions (notably Fermin Aldeguer on the GP24), seemed to be a dramatic loss of rear grip and a subsequent inability to carry corner speed.
- Marquez’s Diagnosis: Marquez noted that the Ducati’s traditional strength—late, hard braking and powerful drive out of corners—was negated at Mandalika. He stated the track requires a high-flow, high-corner-speed style, which he admitted was the “weak point of our bike.” He crashed twice in Friday practice, indicating a struggle to find the limit.
- Tire Spec: The weekend featured a harder, heat-resistant rear Michelin tire carcass required for the high temperatures and abrasive surface. This particular carcass did not seem to suit the characteristics of the GP25 or the factory riders’ styles, robbing them of the usual confidence and drive.
2. Marc Marquez’s Struggles
Despite being the newly crowned champion and the season’s dominant force, Marquez had a surprisingly tumultuous weekend leading up to the main race.
- Qualifying: He missed the automatic Q2 cut on Friday and had to fight through Q1. He ultimately qualified a disappointing P9, his worst qualifying position of the year.
- The Sprint: His race was compromised early on after a collision with Alex Rins (Yamaha), for which Marquez was handed a Long Lap Penalty. He executed the penalty and eventually finished down in P13. He admitted the lack of grip meant he “cannot brake late and hard,” a cornerstone of his riding.
3. Pecco Bagnaia’s Mystery Collapse
Bagnaia, fresh off a morale-boosting double-win weekend in Japan (on a bike rumored to incorporate previous-spec GP24 parts), experienced a total loss of form at Mandalika.
- Qualifying: Bagnaia also failed to make Q2 and qualified even further back than his teammate, starting the sprint from P16.
- The Sprint: His performance was described as a “mystery” and “embarrassing” by analysts. He finished in P14 (last place) among the classified runners, 29 seconds behind the winner in a short 13-lap sprint. He finished an astonishing 13 seconds behind the rider ahead of him (Marquez).
- Rider Frustration: Bagnaia was utterly baffled, saying, “I am not riding, I am just a passenger of my bike. I cannot control anything.” He reported extreme shaking on the straight and an inability to brake or open the throttle without losing the front or spinning the rear.
The Key Contrast: GP25 vs. GP24
The factory team’s struggles were highlighted by the stunning performance of rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing) on the older GP24 spec bike.
- Aldeguer qualified P2 and fought for the win in the Sprint, eventually finishing second.
- Marquez attributed Aldeguer’s success to his different riding style, which is naturally more “flowing” and focused on carrying high corner speed—a style that seemingly suited the GP24’s setup and the peculiar Mandalika grip conditions better.
In short, the factory Ducati team suffered a significant hiccup due to a combination of the specific Mandalika track characteristics, the harder-compound Michelin rear tire, and the GP25’s difficulty in matching the high-flow style required, leading to a shocking lack of pace for both world champions.
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